Death,...by any means necessary!

How Do U Euthanize Your Fish?

  • Flushing: Humane rating: 0% (if I could use a minus figure I would)

    Votes: 9 6.3%
  • Sudden Blunt Trauma: Humane rating: 60%

    Votes: 9 6.3%
  • Decapitation: Humane rating: 50%

    Votes: 6 4.2%
  • The Blender: Humane rating: 90% if the blender is on, 30% if you add fish w/ blender off

    Votes: 2 1.4%
  • Freezing: Humane rating: 85% (for carp family) 25% (for tropicals)

    Votes: 11 7.7%
  • Temperature Shock (Freezing): Humane rating: 100% (not for coldwater fish)

    Votes: 34 23.8%
  • Temperature Shock (Boiling): Humane rating: 100%

    Votes: 7 4.9%
  • Alcohol: Humane rating: 100%

    Votes: 12 8.4%
  • MS-222 (or other veterinarian anesthetics): Humane rating: 100%

    Votes: 5 3.5%
  • I cannot bring myself to euthanize my beloved fish: Humane rating: 100%

    Votes: 48 33.6%

  • Total voters
    143

NoDeltaH2O

Superstar Fish
Feb 17, 2005
1,873
0
0
52
SC
Wow, I step out of the room for a day or so and all Hades breaks loose!

ANywho, I'm glad we've all kissed and made up. I would be very disappointed if this thread got closed as it has been a source of valuable information for a lot of people.

I am glad to see so many people have voted for the last option - not euthanizing their sick fish at all; this means that even though we live in a society of instant gratification, some of us (not me, but some of us at least) are still willing to be patient with the meds and treatments, and take loving care of our pets.
 

brian1973

Superstar Fish
Jan 20, 2008
2,001
3
38
Corpus Christi, Texas
Not sure what happened in this thread prior to my stumbling across it but I think it does give some options that I havent seen discussed since I have been on here. But as Cman said lets not get it closed now.. there is also a morbid sense of humor in some of the threads as well.
 

Big Vine

Elite Fish
Feb 7, 2006
3,895
9
0
47
Florida
Wow, how did I ever miss this one?!

I'd have to vote for a combination of blender and decapitation. Simply crushing the heads of small fish works well (kinda like a blender), and decapitating large fish in one swift slice of the knife is also quite effective.

NoDeltaH2O...
I must say, I was disappointed to see that you had pretty much disappeared from the forum by the time I joined up. I still enjoy reading your posts whenever I happen to come across them, and your sick twisted sense of humor is right up my alley. Like Matt said, please come back!!!

BV :cool:
 

brian1973

Superstar Fish
Jan 20, 2008
2,001
3
38
Corpus Christi, Texas
NoDeltaH2O...
I must say, I was disappointed to see that you had pretty much disappeared from the forum by the time I joined up. I still enjoy reading your posts whenever I happen to come across them, and your sick twisted sense of humor is right up my alley. Like Matt said, please come back!!!

BV :cool:
Ditto..

As for the blender I see the point but wouldnt it be as easy to decapitate and not have the mess? I havent tried the blender methos..or hell any of them for that matter but I can just see dropping a fish in the blender and it not being very efficient. You know kinda tossing the fish around as it takes cuts out of it.
 

Big Vine

Elite Fish
Feb 7, 2006
3,895
9
0
47
Florida
For small fish fish I simply crush their heads between my thumb and index finger. For 'smallish' fish I use the same method with pliers instead of my hands.

I definitely agree with you, Brian, about not wanting to dirty the blender.
Of course, I've also used the 'garburetor' (sink garbage disposal) for such a purpose without having to clean anything afterwards.

Hmm...
Now that I think about it, I still think decapitation is the way to go for any sort of sizeable fish, so I think I'll go ahead and make my official vote be for that option.

BV
 

Pure

Elite Fish
Nov 1, 2005
3,216
7
0
Jacksonville, FL
I can just see dropping a fish in the blender and it not being very efficient. You know kinda tossing the fish around as it takes cuts out of it.
It actually turns them into fish soup in a matter of seconds. It's probably fatal in 1/10 of a second. It's really only an option for small fish and I only used it for culling mass amounts of guppy fry.
 

VirgoWolf

Superstar Fish
Feb 16, 2006
1,933
4
0
Michigan
I do the frozen temperature shock, luckily I haven't had to use it much, but it works instantly. I had some neons with NTD and as soon as they hit the water, they floated like a feather to the bottom of the bowl, no fight, no thrashing, not so much as a single gil movement. Same with the Bettas I've had to put down.
 

sombunya

Large Fish
Jul 25, 2008
304
0
0
67
So. Cal. USA
I've actually researched this subject and saw most of the methods listed here, except freezing. That seems like a humane way short of the clove oil method. Flushing has to be the worst. Think about it.

I saw a biologist on TV put a fish in clove oil to anesthetize it while it was being tagged. Seemed like a good way to treat a pet. And that's what my Bluegill are. They meet me at the side of the tank, swim very close to my hands when I reach in etc. Hell, they'll eat out of my hands.

Can someone tell me where to get clove oil?